“This is symbolic to save face and they know escalation would hurt them more than it would harm us...They restored their honor and its going to cool down. They made their point.”
I’d also agree with this, providing no US casualties, or extensive damage to our facilities/equipment. I do understand others who want to send them to the Stone Age...but I’d prefer that the Mullahs be taken out by the masses there, or at least give the masses and opportunity to take them out first - less change of things going out of control.
I think the answer as to whether this ‘attack’ was meant to escalate or de-escalate will be clear in the way Trump reacts, either verbally or via Twitter.
POTUS has been talking to moderates in Iran for some time. These events have the feel of something that’s already been orchestrated. The best deals are those that have been worked out ahead of time. The last few days may have been the execution of an already written script agreed upon between POTUS and the moderates in Iran. The moderate elements of the Iranian regime were prevented from making a deal with POTUS by hardliners like Soleimani.